


Leap

by Gabrielique (Sacchan90)



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Body Swap, Gen, vex just wants to fly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:59:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7443556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sacchan90/pseuds/Gabrielique
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Vex laughs as she moves up, up, up, up, the air opposing little to no resistance to her movements. </i><br/>This is not like flying with the broom, carefully balancing herself to avoid falling, this is what freedom really feels.<br/>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leap

**Author's Note:**

> I remembered [this post](http://shorthalt.tumblr.com/post/145522954051/yes-but-please-consider-the-ultimate-chaos-of-a) on tumblr and I said to myself 'if they could swap bodies, Vex would 100% try to use the armor to fly' so this happened.  
> Also do you know how artists takes breaks from art by doing more art? Actually, this was born between other 3 critical role projects so, don't expect much.
> 
> (I don't have a beta reader and english is not my first language, so every mistake is absolutely mine. )

The Whitestone castle is mostly asleep when the twins make their way to Scanlan's room. 

Vax knocks twice, while Vex checks the corridor for any sign of life: it will do them no good to wake up someone right now. Especially some of their friends.

After two minutes the door opens and Scanlan stops on the threshold to look at both twins. "You should pay me for this."

"Come on man, let's go." Vax urges.

"I am serious!" Scanlan protests. "It's a stupid plan and you are both gonna get killed!"

They move down the corridor, then up to the staircase. Then up and up and up until they get to the highest tower of the castle. 

As predicted the door that leads to the higher level is locked to prevent anyone from freely reaching the walkaway. 

Scanlan and Vax stare at the wooden door before them, memories of their encounter with the most resilient door in Whitestone still fresh in their minds.

It took three spells to unlock it. They do hope it will take less than that to open this one.

"You guys realize that one of our friends is literally the owner of this castle, right?" Vex says behind them, her tone a little bit amused. "We could ask Pecy for the keys."

"I feel offended, sister." Vax retors shaking his head. "I'm a rogue. Picking lock is what I do."

"Yeah because a door never stopped you before, Vax." Scanlan adds for good measure.

"Shut up, both of you."

Vax sulks -Vex saw that expression so many times that he can't fool her at all- and takes out his tools, ready to do everything necessary to pick that lock and, with that, keeping his reputation intact.

The lock is not the hardest to pick, it still requires time and finesse, but soon enough Vax turns to his sister and Scanlan with a big smile on his face as the door clicks open. "See?" and he vanishes in the darkness of the walkaway

Scanlan and Vex follow the half-elf outside and are greeted by a gust of cold, winter wind. 

Except for the stars not hidden by heavy clouds, the only light sources are the torches at ground level - nothing but flickering spot below them.

The three of them lean a little looking down.

It's a long fall.    
"You two sure about this?" Scanlan asks and no, he is not scared, he is just worried that he is going to see the twins fall to their death. He jumped out of one of the balcony and he  _ knows _ it’s not a pleasant experience.

Vax and Vex ecchange a look and a whole conversation takes place in that silence.

"That's why we brought you along, Scanlan," Vex says, "If something goes wrong you can be the hero and save the day."

"It's really a bad idea, but let's roll with it." Scanlan sighs. Maybe it's because he became a parent recently, but the idea of unnecessary danger bothers him more than it would have months before.

At least the two idiots didn't try to kill themselves without a responsible adult watching over them. 

"Let's do this. Sis, you are ready?"

"For this? Always been."

It is still  _ strange _ to see, when Vax and Vex swap bodies like it's nothing, like they are just clothes they can change whenever they like. The change is subtle -so subtle that most of the time Scanlan doesn't even notice- but it's still there: it's in the way they hold themselves, in the way they tilts their heads, in the way the walk.

"Vex...?" Scanlan asks with a little bit of hesitation.

"Yes?" Vex answers with her brother's voice.

It will never stop being strange.

"Just checking."

Vax walks to Vex, giving her a lookover. He is looking at his own face, but somehow he doesn't see it, he can still Vex clearly. 

It's the worst idea they ever had.

If it doesn't work, there is a chance Vex will fall to her death, again, trapped in his body.

"Hey." Vex says. "I'll be fine."

"Just...." Vax frowns. "If it doesn't work..."

"Scanlan is here." Vex concludes before Vax can say anything else. "I just want to fly, Vax."

And Vax knows that, knows exactly how much his sister wants it. And that’s because he knows that he is allowing her to do something this stupid. "You already died once." Vax reminds her sister grabbing her shoulder. "Don't do that again."   
Vex nods, aware of how scared her brother must be.

"Hey guys," Scanlan interrupts. "Sorry to disturb, but it's kinda creepy when you do... _ that. _ " he gestures to both the twins. "Also, we should do this before breaks dawn and someone sees us. If a word of this reach Percy he's probably gonna have a heart attack"

"We can't have that now, can we." Vax mutters and his sister smacks him on the shoulder, silently reprimanding him. With his own hand. Unbelievable.

"I am ready." Vex tells Scanlan. "Summon Bigby’s hand."

Scanlan does just that, just lowering his voice a little bit during the summoning. 

The purple hand appears, and Vex steps on the parapet.

Vax grabs her -his- wrist and stops her for another moment. "Be careful."

Vex smiles -and Vax never noticed how fucking cocky his smile can be- and step forward into the night.

She falls at first, gravity shoving her down, down, down, down, until everything freezes in place for a moment, and then the wings appear, dark and  _ oh _ so wide.

Vex laughs as she moves up, up, up, up, the air opposing little to no resistance to her movements. 

This is not like flying with the broom, carefully balancing herself to avoid falling, this is what freedom really feels.

Her body -her brother's body- feels so light, and so does her soul. She laughs some more, heading to the stars above her.

She looks over her shoulder at her brother in her body and Scanlan, both looking at her in what she hopes it's astonishment. She waves at them, just for good measure.

She doesn't even feel the cold -and anyway it's not her problem, it will be her brother dealing with that later when she will be back in her own body- she only feels  _ free _ .

Until everything stops.

And then she is falling.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Down.

The stars are further and further with every passing seconds, and Vex can only assume the ground is getting closer and closer.

It occurs to her that she is going to die.

Again.

_ You thought you could fool me, Vex'ahlia? _

A voice, cold and distant, echoes in Vex's mind.

_ You may wear his face, but you are not my Champion, and my wings are not yours to borrow. _

Vex keeps falling what it now seems an endless fall. The voice comes from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Is this what Vax hears when the Raven Queen speaks to him?

_ I should let you fall and punish this foolish act, but I know how much it will hurt my Champion. Bringing you back to life brought him to me, your death will only lead him away. _ _   
_ Stupidily, Vex tries to grab the thin air, hoping that it will, somehow, stop the fall.

_ Just this once, Vex'ahlia, I will tollerate your conceit. _ _   
_ Something grabs her and Vex clings to it with all the strength she has left in her brother's body.

 

When she opens her eyes again, Bigby's hand is still holding her, but her feet are already touch the ground -and she has never be happier to have stable ground behind her. She feels safe.   
"Vex'ahlia." Vax is by his sister's side in a heartbeat. He takes her face- his own face- in his hands and look at her sister. "Are you all right?"

Vex stares at her brother who looks like he has seen a ghost. Except, when they saw real ghosts he -she- wasn't wearing that expression.

"Talk to me, sister!" Vax insists. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Vex blinks once, twice. "Yes." She is surprised of it, of being alive. 

"Yes to what, Vex'ahlia?"

"I'm alright."

Bigby's hand grip loosen and Vax takes his sister in his arms, holding her close. Just like that, they swap bodies back, and Vax doesn't complain a single time about his shaking muscles, or how cold he feels, he just keep Vex close.   
Vex wonders if she should tell Vax about what she heard, but she decides to leave that conversation for another day -a day when they will be more relaxed and able to have such conversation.

"Forget Percy, it's me the one who had a heart attack!" Scanlan exclaims. "I deserve a hug too! I kinda lost ten years of my life right there, you know?"

Vax looks to Scanlan, but doesn't let go of Vex. Not just yet. He just mouths a 'thank you' and buries his face in his sister's hair.

Scanlan nods and makes a gesture of his hands, understanding too well that there is no way Vax and Vex are going to be separate right now. Or for the next couple of hours.

  
  


The three of them are still there, sitting on the walkway, when the sky turns into a lighter shade of blue.

Vax is the first to stand up and he helps his sister, Scanlan follows immediately after.

"Hey sis," Vax passes his arm around Vex's shoulders and brings her closer, pressed to his side so that he is sure she is still there. Safe, alive. "How was flying, anyway?"

Vex looks up to her brother and her smile -even if it's a little bit tired- is still a smile. "Just like I always thought it would be."

"Yeah, well, let's not do that again anytime soon, okay?" Scanlan suggests.   
“I’m totally going to stick to the broom.” Vex promises to herself and her brother. “I think that the hat suits me better than the wings.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who read the whole thing, you are all as cool as the sun tree.  
> Maybe I'm gonna write more swap!twins fics, who knows.
> 
>  
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at [ gabrielique ](http://gabrielique.tumblr.com). Come and say hi or share headcanons, or send me prompts, whatever you want.


End file.
